Sump Questions

It depends what you want to use your sump for - it really only needs to be big enough for all the equipment you want to place in it - maybe space for an RO reservoir.

If you want to add a DSB then it will need to be quite a bit bigger (about the same or just smaller than you display in area). Most seem to use a 3 foot sump with a 4 foot tank or thereabouts.
 
Depends on what you want in your sump.

First chamber for skimmer will stay the same, Plus last chamber for return.

Then
If you want to go the DSB route, then the bigger the sump, the better. The DSB section should be as big as possible. From 33% of your display footprint and up.

Else
If you want to go Orca Cubes, then you do not need a lot of space for the little bag with the cubes.

Alternative is NP-pellets, just need space for the reactor.

Lastly, if you want to run any other reactors, like carbon and or phosphate remover, you need space for those reactors.

Another design constraint is for cubes. Generally their sumps are awkward to design, as a DSB does not work out big enough. But with cubes or NP-pellets, the sump layouts for cubes becomes a lot simpler.
 
what would be the best systems to run?

Ask a 100 people, get a 100 different answers. It really very much depends on your system, what you want to keep in it, time available to you for maintenance etc.

If you stick with the basics though you won't go far wrong.

1) Skimmer chamber, 2) DSB or reactors (phosphate and/or carbon, bio cubes, other media) or place for macroalgae to grow (lit), 3) return pump.
 
Firstly deside what you want to keep in your tank then you will see whether you need a ultra low nutriant system or a low nutriant system ect. then have a look at the diferant filtrathion options. And then build the sump arownd that.
 
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Plus, adding to @Tiger eye statement
How much time would you have available to spend on your tank per day. Remember, whatever you do today with a smile on your face due to it all being new, becomes a job in 3 months time, becomes a major schlep in 6 months time. For example an Algae Scrubber. They work marvellously. But they are a mission to clean every week, they drip water all aver. And you need to be able to install it so that you are able to get to it easily.

And how much monthly costs you are willing to spend on your tank maintenance. I'm excluding running costs like electricity. Talking about additives, dosing stuff, pellets / cubes top ups. ...

Cheapest to set up is a DSB, then Orca Cubes then NP-Pellets, then Vodka dosing and other Zeo-vit options...

simplicity to complexity, the same as with the cheapest to more costly

How involved. Basically the same. Once a DSB is setup correctly, it needs no attention.

Effectiveness, That is in reversed. Zeo-vit systems looks fantastic. Where DSB systems can struggle to maintain 0 phosphates. Orca cubes is more effective than a DSB. And they work quicker.

Not a simple choice - hey...
 
it going to be a reef thank . money is not a problem but I don't want to waste it on something..whaen something else works better.

maintains I want to keep it to a minimal but to something that works great I will do it EG algae scrubber, protein skimmer etc.

my system must be able to accommodate most reefs
 
bigger is better this is the awnser I always got. It also depends on the amount of liferock you have
If me i would try to go bigger than 10%
 
hi it will depend on what you want to keep in your tank
SPS needs more flow that softies etc.

we must also differentiate between "flow" rate and "turn over" rate. Are you asking for the turn over rate, meaning the rate of water water flow through your sump or do you want info on flow from power heads in the tank etc?
 
What I have learned is to use as much flow as possible without disturbing the sand.
I had sand storms with my 5000lph return pump then I installed a ball valve to reduce the flow.
My total water volume is 450lt
 
I got made a picture of my sumps i would need halp to know where to put a sand bed/ fuge / other filters ect.
The only thing i know where its going will be algy scrubber and skimmer..
Sizes ar in the picture but no divisions yet dont know how big and where to put it
thanks

SUMP.jpg
 
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